Diageo appoints Debra Crew as its first female CEO

British multinational premium drinks giant Diageo has just appointed Debra Crew as CEO, one of few women to lead a FTSE 100 company.

Diageo announced that Sir Ivan Menezes would step down on June 30th after 10 years as chief executive and is promoting its current chief operating officer Debra Crew to chief executive officer effective 1 July 2023.

The company employs 28,000 people globally and sells over 200 brands in more than 180 markets. It is also the largest company, by net sales value, in scotch and Canadian whisky, vodka, gin, rum, liquors and tequila.

Only eight of the UK’s top 100 listed companies have a female chief executive, which include: Dame Alison Rose at NatWest, Amanda Blanc at Aviva, Dame Emma Walmsley at GSK, Jette Nygaard-Andersen at Entain, Liv Garfield at Severn Trent, Jennie Daly at Taylor Wimpey, Margherita Della Valle at Vodafone – who is interim chief executive – and Milena Mondini de Focatiis at Admiral.

Before being appointed chief operating officer in October 2022, Crew ran Diageo’s business in North America, its largest market. She joined the company in 2019 and previously headed the tobacco firm Reynolds American until it was acquired by BAT. Before that, she spent five years at PepsiCo and worked at Kraft Foods, Nestlé and Mars.

 

2023 Women’s Wine & Spirits Awards London/Hong Kong

I’m so thrilled to be associated with this organization, and to be “nominated” to be a judge for the 2023 Women’s Wine & Spirits Awards London/Hong Kong.

The organizers state: “Your work in the industry is recognized by the Women’s Wine & Spirits Awards™”

The judging date is November 11th, 2023 and the wines and spirits will be judged by some of the world’s most influential female wine marketers, buyers, retailers, and sommeliers.

The wine business has discovered the exciting importance of women consumers.  Some facts:

  • 80%of wine is purchased by women (Women and Wine Study, Vinexpo)
  • Over 60% of wine is consumed by women (Women and Wine Study, Vinexpo)

#wwsa #womenswineandspiritsawards #wineawards #awards #women #womenbuyers #winetasting #womeninwine #womenspirits #wines #instawine #winejudge #winetime #winelife #winelovers #womeninwinebusiness #winetrade #winenews

Writing the Foreword to an upcoming Book on Women in the Rum Industry

I am deeply honoured to write the Foreword to a book about women rum distillers, which is set to be released at the end of this year or early next year.  I’ve finished the draft and sent it to my colleague and his partner in Amsterdam.

You will find plenty of books about whisky/whiskey in the marketplace, but finding books focused on rum are comparatively few and far between. The ones I did managed to find included: how to drink rum, classic rums, new-generation rums, rhum agricole, premium aged rums, international rums and rum cocktails, but never has there been a book published on women rum distillers, until now!   Watch this space for further details.

#womenleadingrum #masterblender #womenleaders #womenempowerment #womenempoweringwomen #womenempowerwomen #womeninspiringwomen #womenofimpact #inspirationalwomen #rum #rhum #rumlover #rumlove #rumlife #rumstyle #rumwomen #womeninspirits #womensupportingwomen #mondaymotivation #book #rumbook #booklaunch #monday #mondayvibes